Good One - V

[Guest guest]

"But Raja Begum's taste of blood had acted like

the maddening first sip of wine to a dipsomaniac

long-deprived. Punctuated by deafening roar, the brute's

assaults grew in fury. My inadequate defense of only one

hand left me vulnerable before claws and fangs. But I

dealt out dazing retribution. Mutually ensanguined, we

struggled as to the death. The cage was pandemonium, as

blood splashed in all directions, and blasts of pain

and lethal lust came from the bestial

throat.<br>"'Shoot him!' 'Kill the tiger!' Shrieks arose from the

audience. So fast did man and beast move, that a guard's

bullet went amiss. I mustered all my will force,

bellowed fiercely, and landed a final concussive blow. The

tiger collapsed and lay quietly.<br>"Like a pussycat!"

I interjected.<br>The swami laughed in hearty

appreciation, then continued the engrossing tale.<br>"Raja

Begum was vanquished at last. His royal pride was

further humbled: with my lacerated hands, I audaciously

forced open his jaws. For a dramatic moment, I held my

head within the yawning deathtrap. I looked around for

a chain. Pulling one from a pile on the floor, I

bound the tiger by his neck to the cage bars. In

triumph I moved toward the door.<br>"But that fiend

incarnate, Raja Begum, had stamina worthy of his supposed

demoniac origin. With an incredible lunge, he snapped the

chain and leaped on my back. My shoulder fast in his

jaws, I fell violently. But in a trice I had him pinned

beneath me. Under merciless blows, the treacherous animal

sank into semiconsciousness. This time I secured him

more carefully. Slowly I left the cage.<br>"I found

myself in a new uproar, this time one of delight. The

crowd's cheer broke as though from a single gigantic

throat. Disastrously mauled, I had yet fulfilled the

three conditions of the fight—stunning the tiger,

binding him with a chain, and leaving him without

requiring assistance for myself. In addition, I had so

drastically injured and frightened the aggressive beast that

he had been content to overlook the opportune prize

of my head in his mouth!<br>"After my wounds were

treated, I was honored and garlanded; hundreds of gold

pieces showered at my feet. The whole city entered a

holiday period. Endless discussions were heard on all

sides about my victory over one of the largest and most

savage tigers ever seen. Raja Begum was presented to me,

as promised, but I felt no elation. A spiritual

change had entered my heart. It seemed that with my

final exit from the cage I had also closed the door on

my worldly ambitions.<br>"A woeful period followed.

For six months I lay near death from blood poisoning.

As soon as I was well enough to leave Cooch Behar, I

returned to my native town.<br>"'I know now that my

teacher is the holy man who gave the wise warning.' I

humbly made this confession to my father. 'Oh, if I

could only find him!' My longing was sincere, for one

day the saint arrived unheralded.<br>"'Enough of

tiger taming.' He spoke with calm assurance. 'Come with

me; I will teach you to subdue the beasts of

ignorance roaming in jungles of the human mind. You are

used to an audience: let it be a galaxy of angels,

entertained by your thrilling mastery of yoga!'<br>"I was

initiated into the spiritual path by my saintly guru. He

opened my soul-doors, rusty and resistant with long

disuse. Hand in hand, we soon set out for my training in

the Himalayas."<br>Chandi and I bowed at the swami's

feet, grateful for his vivid outline of a life truly

cyclonic. I felt amply repaid for the long probationary

wait in the cold parlor!